Dan Severson (R) has a letter to the editor in the St. Cloud Times today blaming the "Legislature's Majority" which must be code word for DFL for passing a $925 million bonding bill.

In what must be a preview of the Republican slogan for this fall, he brings up one small piece of the bill ($11 million for the Como Zoo, which by the way is a free zoo which has delighted my children on numerous occasions given that I happen to not be able to afford to treat my children to the more expensive Minnesota Zoo) and attempts to use this piece alone as evidence that the DFL majority is irresponsible. But hey, why should the financially strapped be aloud the pleasure of teaching their children about zoo animals?

Not even the looming prospect of a billion-dollar budget deficit has persuaded members of the Legislature's majority (AND Steve Gottwalt) to act fiscally responsible.

instead, the House (INCLUDING Steve Gottwalt) passed a bill that is $100 million more than we can afford.

If Pawlenty vetoes the bill, it will return to a House leadership (INCLUDING Steve Gottwalt) that is exhibiting fiscal recklessness with the taxpayers' wallet.

This majority acted irresponsibly the first time the bonding bill was on the floor (Even though I, Dan Severson and my friend, Steve Gottwalt, voted for the bill the first time it was on the floor).

Apparently some folks (INCLUDING Steve Gottwalt) haven't heard this adage: A statesman looks to the next generation; a politician looks to the next election.

If I were Steve Gottwalt, I would particularly outraged at this hit piece penned by Dan Severson. Does Severson really want to portray his Republican colleague as fiscally irresponsible months before the election season kicks into high gear? I certainly hope that those candidates running against Mr. Severson and Mr. Gottwalt remind them of these votes during the election given that it is almost guaranteed that they will attempt to use this bill as a club upon DFL candidates.

Comments

Why are all these guys hung up on gorilla funding? Olson also made a big deal about the gorilla funding also. Could it be that the ape’s uncanny resemblance to humans make’s them uncomfortable. Olson, Emmer and other rep’s deny evolution. Is Severson part of that group? Or did they all see “Planet of the apes” one to many times? Did Severson vote for the bill until he realized that it funded apes, and then changed his mind? Was he pressured from the right wing and a secret anti primate agenda? Do the apes remind them of a distant uncle who was also the reason for their homophobic fears?

I think we should all start going to their events in monkey masks. Let’s ask these important questions.

Frankly, the DFL could learn something from Dave Kleis & St. Cloud in general. Why don't they ask their wealthy patrons to subsidize things like the Schubert Theater, the zoo & other entertainment ventures?

That'd free up millions to use in bonding for important infrastructure projects.

When Kleis, SCSU President Potter & St. Cloud Chamber President Bohnen invited Gov. Pawlenty here for a tour of their Fifth Avenue Live project, they told him that they didn't need a penny in bonding to complete the project because they had commitments of $50 million for private investments. That's the biggest reason why we got the funding for SCSU & the Civic Center expansion.

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